Everybody has their own ratatouille recipe, it seems. Here is mine, which is a French-Greek crossover, as it combines the classic French ingredients with a Greek preparation method. The result is a bit more tomato-heavier and fruitier than the classic ratatouille. It's extremely tasty, though. Serves 3-4.
- 2 large eggplants
- 2 medium-sized courgettes
- 1-2 red bell peppers, depending on the size
- 2 cans of tomatoes with juice
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ cup (125ml) French or Greek olive oil
- 1 bouquet garni (a few twigs of parsley and thyme, and a bay leaf bound together)
- salt
- pepper
Cut the eggplants and courgettes into small (1/4"-½") cubes, remove the seeds from the bell peppers and cut them into similar-sized bits. Put the tomatoes and their juice into a blender and whizz until smooth.
In a large pot, bring the oil to medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until transparent.
Add the eggplant cubes and stir well. They will very likely absorb most of the olive oil. That's okay. Add the courgettes and bell peppers and stir for another minute or so.
Add the tomato sauce from the blender, season with salt and pepper. Stir. Add the bouquet garni and make sure it is well immersed in the sauce. Bring to boil.
Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bouquet garni, then serve as a main or side dish.
